I'm exhausted now, but earlier I had some extra get-up-and-go and decided to play with an orphaned LBD in the donate pile. It's a thick knit from Target that I got for a buck at the swap meet - never really liked the high neckline combined with loose mod shape on me, since it was hard to wear a jacket.

Anyway, here it is now, all spaced out. The pic actually looks a little better than it does IRL, but it was a fun project. I don't know if I'll ever actually wear it out, but I've spent time in worse ways. Maybe it will be a band outfit. :)

Ok, so I was not overly excited about my haircut right when it ended, but I realized pretty quick that that was because *I* had not admitted to myself that I want a bigger change. After I realized this, I was super impressed with my stylist, who amazingly did EX.ACT.LY what I asked. I'd asked for "almost the same, but better, that looks cute in a ponytail, and that doesn't take lots of product to style." I also told him I hadn't been to a salon in aaaages, which I think scared him a bit.

I kid you not, this guy meticulously worked on my face-framing layers for an hour and showed my how to style with no product - and when I say "no product," I mean not even a BRUSH. That's hardcore.

Now that I trust him, I think I may go back in time and try out something wacky! Maybe something on the short side - edgier/younger/cuter/more Asian.

Besides the crazy cocker spaniel ears that my hair creates in this pic, I also feel a bit frumpy in it. I think it's because neither my jacket nor my turtleneck have the edge of Janet's pieces. I will have to try it again sometime. I like it, but I don't love it as much as the inspiration. Suggestions welcome!

1) I have an appointment at an actual HAIR SALON today at 6pm! I tried to clean up my ends and bangs last night and felt like Ms. Frump Central 2012. I am not going for a huge change, but this is my first time in a salon in 10 years. :0

2) Unless all goes wrong with DH at home, we will be going to Italy at the end of March - Squeeeee! Rome, Florence, and Venice. Turns out to be the perfect week to go, since my boss will be gone, too. This is part of the inspiration for the haircut - I don't want to be the most unkempt person in Italy.

Now all I need to do is think up a couple of possible souvenirs to put on my radar. There is a leather market in Florence, as well as a few secondhand shops. I need to choose shopping destinations wisely, since I do need to pay Hubs *most* of my attention. ;)

SUPER EXCITED for all of it. Fingers crossed that I don't leave the salon with a mullet or something awful...

I have been looking out for galaxy print items for... maybe 2 years? I think it was 2 Spring seasons ago that I passed up a galaxy print AS tank top, and I still regret it. Hot/sticky weather dresses are also one category that can count as a hole in my casual wardrobe.

I like this one alot, even though it would still be about $70 after a coupon. The loose fit and sleeveless nature seems good for 80-degree-plus jaunts to the swap meet/beach/etc. The black color would hide pit sweat well. The model is 5'10", so it would be much longer on 5'4" me... *possibly* even long enough to make it work for the office if I layered a cami underneath and a jacket over the top. Thinking it would also work for band performances.

Wondering if you might see something I don't - I have a hard time seeing pattern placement issues and things like that. Thoughts?

Pay attention to your delivery time estimates. I am not Zappos, and I don't pretend to be. You may think your package is weeks overdue, but in reality it is not scheduled to get there that fast. Don't unleash the beast within at me when the package isn't even late yet.

Remember that Ebay sellers are regular people! Great, you asked where your package was. I explained about the shipping times and said I'd contact the post office. Why on earth would you email me less than 24 hours later asking for an update? And then file a complaint the day after that without giving any time to respond?

Only the citron top carries over from the original outfit, but thankfully not *all* because of fit issues. Differences:

- My style has evolved to a place where I'm more interested in softening my brights, plus I'm working on bringing UWP to the office, so I've swapped the turquoise blazer for this All Saints convertible trench jacket.

- Aside from the fact that the original pants are too small, I've also gotten much pickier about fabrics. Nothing irritates me more than wrinkled bottoms, so I'm trying to stick to manmade materials these days.

- You can't tell, but the original boots were a really cheap Ebay buy - $20 for a pair of sleek, mid-calf boots I wanted to go under pants. They were great at the time, but the synthetic linings have started to bother me with the close fit of these boots. Out they go, and in come my UWP boots, chosen for love for their look-at-me details but used under pants as well because the are just versatile like that. It's a new era of paying more for quality and versatility versus spending less but looking to fill every niche individually.

The original outfit may have been more spunky and Spring-y, but I definitely feel better in today's!

This challenge turned out to be unexpectedly depressing... I don't fit into *any* of the bottoms I wore 1 year ago. I really have to get. it. together. :(

But back to the YLF retrospective:

- Last year is on the left, this year is on the right. I learned that this jacket is not my best color and is not my most flattering piece, so I swapped out the neutral top for the bright citron blouse, even though this sacrifices the column of color that is in #1.. The silver necklace was added as a further attempt to brighten my face.

- I also learned that I like a little hard edge, even in my work outfits, so I'm wearing Docs instead of loafers.

- Finally, I learned more about caring for my leather goods, so I'm carrying a PU bag due to the rain predicted for this afternoon.

- Most of all, I learned that it's time to let this jacket go. I'll attempt to sell it, but it's not staying with me.

So many of you were very helpful with ideas for my butterfly necklace a while back. I've been struggling with it, and haven't bought gold leaf or anything, because the darn butterfly is so big that leather cords and most of my chains get dwarfed and make it look even bigger and sillier than it already is.

I finally tried this large scale chain lariat necklace, an orphan for a while because it came off as club-wear. I think I've finally made peace with this piece - I dig the whole butterfly-on-a-leash image - but do you think it's ridiculous? Please ignore the bra outline in #1 - was too lazy to change.

About

I'm just your average working stiff who loves nice things and hates to pay for them. This blog outlines my efforts to navigate that treacherous shopping/saving divide through swappin', thriftin', and even a little resellin'. Many of the pieces in my wardrobe cost me just $1! We've heard a lot about people "living above their means" in recent years; I'm championing the concept of living large *below* your means - whatever that means for you. :)

lookfab.com was inspired by the members of the youlookfab forum, who share our belief that style is beyond shape, size, age and budget, and above all, that fashion should be fun!